In many situations, it is necessary to switch or attenuate an optical signal that is transmitted within an optical system.
By way of example but not limitation, in a typical optical system, it may be necessary to switch or attenuate an optical signal between a first line (e.g., a fiberoptic or fiber line) and a second line (e.g., a fiberoptic or fiber line).
Attenuation and switching techniques that exist in the art do not address the problem of fast and accurate switching and attenuation combined with ease of implementation.